Ash and May: Unova and Beyond
by Gameroffortune
Summary: Sequel to May, Ash, and the Return of Manaphy. Ash and May, now officially a couple, will continue their adventures through Unova and many other far-flung regions. Making friends and enemies alike, their love for their Pokémon, and for each other, will guide them. Rated T for some mild language and some suggestive stuff later on (nothing too graphic, though).
1. Chapter 1

**As promised, first chapter of new story delivered in a not-at-all-timely fashion. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any part of this story. All rights go to Nintendo for use of their characters, etc.**

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><p>Chapter 1: New Friends, Old Foes<p>

"May… May, wake up. We're here."

"Hmm?" the young Coordinator mumbled as she slowly opened her eyes, hearing the soft voice of her raven-haired lover. A quick look outside the small porthole window of their cabin confirmed Ash's words; they had arrived in Driftveil City. May smiled nervously. Sure, she had some anxiety, but she was excited nevertheless.

She glanced down at the blue Water-Type Pokémon sleeping in her lap. Beside her came a sleepy "Pikaaa…" as Pikachu woke up. The small Electric-Type happily leapt onto his trainer's shoulder as May picked up her own Pokémon.

"Manaphy, time to wake up." May said gently as the aquatic Pokémon opened his eyes and smiled up at his 'mother'.

"Mana, happy!" he cheered, lightly wrapping his arms around May's neck.

"The ferry will be docking any minute now, we'd better head up on deck." Ash suggested. Nodding, May followed him as he headed out. From the ship's deck, Ash waved at the two figures that could be seen waiting for them on the pier. After disembarking from the boat, May and Ash went over to greet the two; a tall, green-haired boy dressed like a waiter and a dark-skinned girl with long purple hair. She eyed May warily as they approached.

"Sorry I'm a little late. I kinda had an unexpected addition to my trip." Ash explained, scratching the back of his neck. "This is May, my fr- uh, actually, _girl_friend." _Man_, he thought, _that's gonna take some getting used to._

Then turning back to May: "This is Cilan and Iris." he introduced, gesturing towards his friends. May smiled nervously as she greeted them.

Cilan grinned and gave Ash a wink as he spoke up.

"Well Ash, I must say, yours appears to be a well-seasoned relationship. You're flavors complement each other nicely". he said.

Ash smiled and nodded, but May, slightly creeped-out by Cilan's odd choice of words, continued with what she was saying.

"… and this is Manaphy." May said, introducing the small Water-Type in her arms.

"Happy, phi happy!" Manaphy said cheerfully, waving.

"Uh, did it just… talk?" Iris asked.

"Yeah, I've been teaching him how to talk a little." May replied with a smile.

Iris was admittedly a bit impressed. She had assumed May was just another kid Ash had dragged along. But not only did she have a rare legendary Pokémon, she also taught it how to speak! In spite of herself, Iris was already starting to have a change of heart.

Suddenly, a small green Pokémon with a single horn and two tusks emerged from Iris's hair.

"A-xew! Xew!" it greeted May.

May smiled at the little Pokémon as she pulled out her Pokedex and scanned it.

_***Axew, the Tusk Pokémon. Axew marks its territory by making scratch marks on trees with its tusks, which regrow if they fall out.***_reported the Pokedex.

"Ahem… now that everyone's acquainted, we should hit the road." Cilan suggested. There were no words of protest, and Ash was especially anxious to get going. He and May would share their adventures together once again.

"To Mistralton!"

/-/-/

Unfortunately, the group didn't get very far. They hadn't been walking more than half an hour before they encountered some unexpected problems.

"Pikachu? Pikachu! What's wrong? Are you okay?" Ash shouted, concerned for his companion as he fell over, seemingly exhausted.

"Piiikaaaa~" the little Electric-Type moaned, devoid of his usual electric charge.

"Ash, look! On Pikachu's back, a Joltik!" May said, pointing at the yellow Bug/Electric-Type latched onto Pikachu.

Ash and Oshawott attempted to pull the creature off of Pikachu, but succeeded only in earning a rather nasty shock from the Joltik. Seeing Pikachu's predicament, Iris and Cilan offered to help with their Emolga and Stunfisk - only to find that they too had fallen victim to the parasitic Joltiks, and were now drained of energy. They retreated to the nearest Pokémon Center, where May was introduced to another, uh, 'interesting' character.

"Outta the way!" shouted a blonde-haired girl as she frenziedly charged into the Pokémon Center, knocking Ash into a nearby fountain in the process.

"Ash!" May cried in alarm.

"Mana!" Manaphy added, equally alarmed. Taking Ash's arms, they hauled him out of the fountain.

"I'm fine." Ash said, wringing his hat out. "May, this is Bianca. Bianca, May."

"Hi! Nice to meet you!" Bianca greeted enthusiastically, forgetting her earlier frantic behavior.

May raised an eyebrow and shot a worried glance at Ash, who just shrugged and gave her a half-smile.

Just then, the power went out. Three large, yellow spider-like Pokémon could be seen outside the Pokémon Center as they walked past the window. Attempting to remain out of sight, the group quietly opened the door to get a better look. Ash quickly pulled out his Pokedex and scanned the Pokémon, who appeared to be radiating electricity.

_***Galvantula, the EleSpider Pokémon and the evolved form of Joltik. Galvantula captures its enemies using its electrically-charged threads.***_the Pokedex recited.

"Hmmm, they must be the cause of the blackout." remarked Nurse Joy from behind them. "But these Galvantula usually get their energy from the electric charge in Chargestone Cave."

"Seems suspicious. I wonder if something's wrong?" May wondered aloud.

Suddenly, the Galvantula began to move back into the forest.

"Quick, follow them!" Ash shouted.

Maintaining a safe distance as they pursued the Galvantula, the group formed a plan to distract the Galvantula, using their Electric-Types, if they were confronted. They didn't get a chance to put the plan into action, though, as they were soon ambushed by a mob of Galvantula.

"We're surrounded! There's too many of them!" Bianca said in despair.

"Pika. Piiiika!" Pikachu growled at the advancing Bug/Electric Types.

Suddenly, the Galvantula all simultaneously fired a large pulse of electricity at our heroes, paralyzing them. Another pair reached in with their webs and grabbed Pikachu and Bianca's Minccino, and were about to make off with the Pokémon. Manaphy had just barely avoided the electric pulse, however, and had different plans. As the Galvantula withdrew their electrical attack, Manaphy jumped down in front of the group and held up one of his club-like arms.

"Phi!" he commanded, catching the Galvantula's attention.

"Manaphy? Be careful!" May called to her child in concern, knowing full well that he was at a Type disadvantage.

Smiling, Manaphy just turned back to her and winked. He knew what he was doing. Turning back to the Galvantula, Manaphy raised his antennae. They began to glow, and the Galvantula began to calm down, as it appeared that Manaphy was somehow soothing them.

"Manaphy must be using his Heart Swap ability!" May observed. "It lets him share insight into the thoughts and feelings of people and Pokémon with others."

"That's right! Just like back at the Sea Temple, when he sent your prayers for me into my mind." Ash remembered.

They watched in awe as the Galvantula, pacified by Manaphy's intervention, gathered around and released Minccino and Pikachu, who quickly scurried back to their respective trainers.

"You okay, buddy?" Ash asked as Pikachu leapt back onto his shoulder.

"Pi-ka!" the Mouse Pokémon confirmed.

"That was a close one…" Bianca said, returning her Minccino.

Meanwhile, Manaphy began questioning the Galvantula as to the source of their distress.

"Phi? Mana-mana?"

"Antula. Antul-galvant." the Galvantula responded.

"Maa-naa?"

"Vantula!"

With that, Manaphy jumped back into May's arms and pointed at what appeared to be the leader of the Galvantula, who was gesturing with its pedipalps.

"I think they want us to follow them." Cilan observed.

"Good job, Manaphy!" May complemented her Water-Type son.

"Happy!" he cheered as the group trailed the Galvantula.

/-/-/

Eventually, the Galvantula led the group to the opening of Chargestone Cave, which they found to be blocked off by a huge metal door. Outside, energy-deprived Joltik were lying on the ground, some of them unconscious. The Galvantula were trying to recharge them, but could do little as they were suffering from a lack of electricity as well.

"Pikachu, give them a jolt." Ash commanded.

Pikachu jumped down and began sharing electricity with the Joltik, reviving them. Bianca's Minccino and May's Munchlax, the latter having recently learned Thunderbolt, also lent a helping hand. Soon, the Joltik were active again.

"Well, that's one problem out of the way, at least for now. But we still need to figure out what's going on in there." Ash said, approaching the door to the cave. Everyone attempted to pry it open, to no avail.

"Wait, stop!" Iris said quickly. A faint rumbling could be heard from inside the cave, rapidly escalating in volume.

"Get back! Something's coming!" Iris shouted. Everyone backed away from the entrance just as the door began opening.

As the doors opened fully, a massive, grey truck rolled out and stopped. From an opening on top appeared an all-too-familiar trio, with the usual amount of theatrics.

"Team Rocket!"

"I guess some things never change." May sighed, holding the bridge of her nose in frustration.

"So it was _you_ who drove out the Joltik and Galvantula!" yelled Cilan.

"We did not. We just needed to 'borrow' some of these electrically-charged stones, and they were interfering with our little mining operation." James answered in a mock-defensive tone. And with that, the trio disappeared back into their truck as it revved up and began moving straight towards the group.

"Dwebble, come out!" Cilan yelled, releasing his Rock Inn Pokémon.

"Go, Excadrill! Use dig!" commanded Iris, sending out her Subterrene Pokémon. Excadrill quickly burrowed beneath the ground, causing Team Rocket's truck to fall into the hole.

At that moment, the swarm of Joltik and Galvantula released a combined electric beam which completely engulfed the truck. Their electricity reacted with the electrically-charged stones in the truck, causing it to be lifted high into the air. As the Pokémon withdrew the beam, the truck was sent crashing into the ground. Team Rocket bailed out at the last minute, landing in front of the 'twerps'.

"You're not getting away with this." Ash growled, each member of the group readying a Poké Ball.

Jessie was about to respond, when she noticed Manaphy in May's arms. A look of recognition flashed across her face as she spoke.

"Hey, wait a minute. That Pokémon… that's the little blue brat from that trashy temple from a while back!"

"That's right! The one who gave us our little out-of-body experience!" James responded, remembering how Manaphy had used Heart Swap on the trio before even being born.

Then, with an evil grin, he continued: "Well, this certainly blows these lousy rocks right out of the water! He'll make an excellent addition to Team Rocket."

"Just wait 'til we show _dis_ ta da Boss!" Meowth added, pulling out another of the Team's odd gadgets; a rather unoriginal-looking cage with a robotic arm extending from the top. With the press of a button, the arm shot towards May, seizing Manaphy and dragging him from her arms before she could react.

"Mama! Mamaaaa!" Manaphy cried desperately, reaching his one free arm out towards May.

"Manaphy!" May shrieked in horror. Then, with fire in her eyes, she charged toward the Rocket trio.

If there is one single thing, one rule of nature that holds true for both humans and Pokémon, it's this: Never, ever, EVER come between a mother and her baby. But Team Rocket had decided to try their luck, a decision that would not end well for them.

"May, wait!" Ash called, running after her.

"Woobat, use Gust! Don't let the twerp interfere!" Jessie said, sending out her Woobat.

"You too, Yamask! Show them the uselessness of their actions! Use Night Shade!" yelled James, releasing his Spirit Pokémon.

The combined assault from both Pokémon was enough to hold the others at bay. May, however, threw herself towards the metal claw holding Manaphy and grabbed onto it, preventing herself from being blown away by Woobat's Gust. Pulling herself along, May inched closer and closer to the Rockets.

"Pikachu, we gotta help May! Quick, use Thunderbolt on Yamask!" Ash shouted.

"You too, Minccino! Swift, now!" Bianca called.

Now with a combo of their own, the Electric and Normal Types sent Yamask flying. But Woobat was still presenting a hindrance.

"C'mon Dwebble, you can do it!" Cilan encouraged his Pokémon, who was just barely staying on its feet in the face of the Gust attack. But hearing its trainer's words, and with a look of determination, the Bug/Rock Type steadily began advancing. Within seconds, Dwebble became enveloped in a bluish-white light.

"Yes! Dwebble's evolving!" Cilan cheered.

A moment later, the newly-evolved Crustle stood where Dwebble had been. In place of his shell was a massive boulder, one not so easily slowed by a Gust attack. Before Cilan could command it, Crustle fired a powerful Rock Wrecker attack at Woobat, knocking it out instantly.

At that moment, May finally reached the cage part of Team Rocket's device, where Manaphy was still held in the metal claw's death grip. Abandoning the task at hand, Jessie and James each took hold of the contraption, trying to retain their hostage.

But May would have none of it. With one powerful tug on the mechanical arm, the Rocket trio was yanked off their feet.

May gave another furious pull, causing the arm to extend to near-full length. Then, using every last bit of her adrenaline-fueled strength, she began tearing off the robotic hand's fingers. She freed Manaphy from the machines grip, and the little Water-Type, still sobbing, clung to her side in terror. Then, May turned her furious gaze toward the Rockets, who were trembling at the sight of her wrath. The rest of the group, including the Pokémon, stared in awe at the scene before them.

With one brutally swift movement, May drew the claw-and-arm device back, like a baseball bat, and swung it, with full force, at the terrified Rocket trio. With a loud, painful-sounding metallic crash, Jessie, James, and Meowth were sent flying over the treetops.

"Team Rocket blasting off again!" the three shouted, vanishing in the distance.

Immediately, May dropped the device and sat down to console Manaphy, still crying and shaking.

"Sshhh, Manaphy. Sshhh. It's okay, honey, It's okay. Don't cry sweetie, mama's here." May said soothingly, rocking Manaphy in her arms.

Meanwhile, Ash and the others were staring, mouths agape, at the display of motherly rage they had just witnessed. Only one thought was on each of their minds.

_Holy_.

_Crap_.

"Well Ash, looks like you've got another incentive to treat May right." Cilan muttered.

Ash gulped, shuddering slightly at the thought of his fate should he do something stupid like forgetting their anniversary or, God _forbid_, her birthday.

Finally, May was able to calm Manaphy down. The Seafaring Pokémon looked up at her, then nuzzled into her chest.

"Love you, mama." he said, hugging her tightly.

May wiped tears from her eyes. If those jerks ever lay a finger on her Manaphy again, she would make sure they wouldn't live to regret it.

They departed a few minutes later for Professor Juniper's camp, which was set up somewhere around the cave. Bianca led the way, prattling on about how she was going to trade her Shelmet for the Professor's Karrablast, thereby evolving both of them, so on and so forth. Ash and May lagged behind a bit, preferring to have a little space for themselves.

Ash smiled guiltily at May before speaking.

"Heh, I should have mentioned those guys were still after me."

"Honestly, I kind of expected it." May admitted. "They're just the type who are either too stupid or too stubborn to know when to quit."

Then, Ash's expression turned serious.

"Listen, May, if you're worried about Manaphy… if you think it'll be too risky… you don't have to stay…"

Suddenly, he was cut off as May's lips wrapped around his own. They stopped walking, choosing instead to share their passionate moment.

"Ash, what did I tell you back in Castelia?" May asked a moment later, pulling out of the kiss. "Didn't I tell you I would be right here, right by your side, no matter what? We can face these things together. It's not like our first journey together was easy. I never expected this one to be, either."

"I know, but with Manaphy and all…" Ash started, before being cut off again, this time by Manaphy.

"Phi! Manaphy stay! Manaphy want papa, too!" the Water-Type insisted, not the least bit discouraged by his earlier ordeal. As long as he was with his mama and papa, he knew he was safe.

"Well, Ashy-boy, it seems your concerns have been overruled." May giggled, hugging Manaphy closely.

Ash grinned, pulling his girlfriend and his Pokémon 'child' into another embrace. It was the greatest feeling in the world, having May back. And this time, it was for real.

This time, she was here to stay.

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><p><strong>Sorry about the long wait, guys. I got preoccupied with some other stuff and started procrastinating and just… yeah.<strong>

**I'll admit, I'm not quite sure where to take the story from here. I've got a few ideas, but I don't really want to mirror the anime. At the same time, I do want to base it around the anime (with some elements from the games) so I have a clear reference for events and a time frame around which to work. Your ideas, comments, and suggestions are always appreciated. They're encouraged, in fact, so please leave them if you want. I will do my best not to take forever getting the next chapter up. Until then, buh-bye! :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own any part of this story. All rights go to Nintendo for use of their characters, etc.**

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><p>Chapter 2: Evolution Confusion<p>

"Finally! Time to trade Pokémon!" Bianca cheered excitedly. The group had arrived at Professor Juniper's camp, and it seemed that Bianca's enthusiasm was contagious; everyone was excited to see this 'evolution exchange'.

"I gotta say, it is pretty exciting. I can't wait to see Karrablast and Shelmet evolve!" Ash exclaimed.

"Pika!" Pikachu agreed.

"Same here. I don't think I've ever seen Pokémon that need to be traded with each other for both to evolve," remarked May. "This should really be something to see!"

Just then, Professor Juniper emerged from her tent and started towards the group.

"Hello, everyone! Nice to see you made it here so quickly." she greeted, smiling. "Then again, I'm sure Bianca wasn't about to allow any delays." she added, noticing Bianca seemed ready to jump out of her skin from excitement.

Then, noticing May, "Oh? I see we've got a new arrival."

Ash nodded. "Professor, I'd like you to meet May." he introduced.

"Pleased to meet you." May said, smiling.

"Any friend of Ash's is a friend of mine." Professor Juniper replied, returning the smile.

"Oooh, can we trade now!?" Bianca blurted out.

Laughing, Professor Juniper nodded and led the group towards her tent.

"For Bianca's sake, we better not wait another minute." she remarked, giggling.

Inside the tent, the Professor revealed her Pokémon Trade Machine.

"I brought it here to study the effects Chargestone Cave might have on evolution." she explained. "Although, we were having some trouble with the equipment a little while ago. There was irregular activity from the cave causing interference."

"Team Rocket was causing the disturbance," Ash responded darkly. "They were trying to steal some stones from the cave, and they displaced the Joltik and Galvantula living there."

"We were able to put a stop to it, though, thanks to May." he finished, putting his arm around his girlfriend.

"Mama save Manaphy. Mama help friends!" Manaphy cheered, clinging loosely to May's neck from behind.

"I can't take all the credit. I was just doing what I had to do to protect Manaphy." May said, blushing.

"Now, before we actually trade," the Professor continued, "I need to collect some pre-evolution data, since I'm doing this for research purposes after all. A battle would certainly accomplish that."

"Sounds good! Let's do it!" Bianca agreed.

Outside, Professor Juniper and Bianca each readied their Poké Balls. Cilan, being chosen as the judge, stepped forward.

"The one-on-one battle between Professor Juniper and Bianca is about to begin. The battle is over when one Pokémon is unable to continue. Let's get things started!" he announced.

"Alright! Shelmet, come on out!" Bianca shouted, throwing her ball. From the ball emerged a Pokémon resembling a bivalve with a grey, armor-like shell that formed a spiral on its back. It opened its shell and peeked out, revealing its pink body and puckered-up mouth.

"Shelmet?" it muttered uncertainly.

"Aww, it's kinda cute!" May smiled, scanning the Pokémon with her Pokédex.

_***Shelmet, the Snail Pokémon. Shelmet closes its shell to protect itself from attacks. It also produces and spits out a poisonous, sticky liquid.***_

Noticing Shelmet's insecurity, a certain Dragon-Type decided to be funny.

Tiptoeing up to Shelmet, Axew roared and made an intimidating face.

"Xew!" the green Tusk Pokémon roared.

"Met!" Shelmet cried in fright. He proceeded to clamp his shell down as tightly as possible and refused to move.

"Oh no, Shelmet!" Bianca exclaimed, concerned.

"Axew, that wasn't nice!" Iris scolded as she walked over to retrieve Axew. "I'm so sorry, Shelmet." she apologized to the Snail Pokémon.

"Is Shelmet gonna be alright?" May asked.

"Well, he can be a little easy to startle sometimes…" Bianca admitted. "But I'm sure he'll do just fine!" she added, her optimism returning.

Making her move, Professor Juniper threw her own Ball.

"Go, Karrablast!"

On the field appeared a round, bluish Pokémon with a black face, fanged mouth, yellow eyes, a single horn on its head, and four stubby black limbs.

"Karrablast!" it roared, frightening poor Shelmet and causing it to jump back and once again retreat into its shell.

Ash immediately scanned the new Pokémon with his Pokédex.

_***Karrablast, the Clamping Pokémon. Karrablast live in forests and fields, and often hide in trees or grass when threatened. They can also defend themselves by spitting acid.***_

"Sounds pretty tough." Ash remarked.

"Let's hope Shelmet can handle it." May added, earning a nod of agreement from Pikachu and Manaphy.

"Let the battle begin!" Cilan shouted.

"Bianca, you can go first." Professor Juniper said.

"Alright! Shelmet, use…" Bianca faltered, noticing Shelmet was unresponsive.

"…Shelmet?" she asked.

The Bug-Type was still cowering in its shell, unwilling to face Karrablast.

"Shel-met." it mumbled, refusing to come out.

"Uhh, on second thought, why don't _you_ start us off, Professor?" Bianca said, laughing nervously.

"Well, alright then. Karrablast, use Peck!" the Professor commanded.

"Karra, Karra!" shouted Karrablast, its horn beginning to glow as it raced towards Shelmet.

"Shelmet, use Protect, quick!" Bianca countered.

"She-el-met!" Shelmet replied, projecting a spherical shield around itself, despite still not coming out of its shell. Karrablast smashed into the shield with full force, seeming to not affect Shelmet at all.

"Karra?" Karrablast asked, confused.

"Karra. Karra! Karra-karra-karra-karra-karra-!" Karrablast shouted, attacking Shelmet's shield repeatedly to no avail.

"Wow! Karrablast is hammering him, but Shelmet is really holding on!" Iris said, amazed at Shelmet's endurance in the face of Karrablast's relentless barrage.

"What he lacks in courage, he more than makes up for in Defense." May summarized.

"Karrablast, use Take Down!" Professor Juniper called, changing strategies.

"Karra-BLAST!" Karrablast roared, becoming enveloped in a yellow light as he charged towards Shelmet.

"Shelmet, use Protect again!" Bianca ordered.

Shelmet projected his shield once more. As Karrablast slammed into the shield, however, it looked as though Shelmet might yield. The Take Down attack was strong enough to push Shelmet back a few meters, but once again leaving Shelmet unharmed.

"Shelmet?" asked the Pokémon, peeking out of its shell for the first time since the battle started.

"Bianca, you need to go on the offensive!" Ash shouted.

"I know, but my little Shelmet is so shy." Bianca replied.

"Then I'll just have to keep attacking…" Professor Juniper started, only to be interrupted.

"What's going on!? Professor, we've got a problem over here!" called on of Professor Juniper's assistants. The equipment he was working with had electrical currents emanating from it.

"You better check this out!" shouted another assistant.

"This battle is on time-out!" announced Cilan, effectively ending the battle as the group crowded around the equipment to see what the problem was.

"We're getting some bizarre electrical readings, most of them coming from the cave." the assistant explained.

"Oh no." Professor Juniper breathed, looking worriedly in the direction of the cave.

Back in Professor Juniper's tent, it was revealed that the Trade Machine was being affected by the electrical anomaly as well.

"If this keeps up, we might not be able to go through with the trade." the Professor sighed.

"NOOOO!" Bianca shrieked, starting to freak out. "What am I gonna do, what am I gonna do, what am I gonna do…!?"

"Bianca, calm down. This isn't helping." May said sternly.

"Ma-na!" Manaphy agreed.

"Really, Bianca, you're getting too worked up over this. I'm sure this isn't anything that can't be fixed." added Iris.

"I… I guess you guys are right." Bianca said, calming down a bit. "But we _need_ to find out what the problem is!"

"I wonder… could it be Team Rocket? They might be back." Ash suggested.

"If it is, we can surely deal with them again." replied Cilan.

"Let's not jump to conclusions." Professor Juniper said. "We can't be sure it's Team Rocket yet. Nevertheless, we should investigate."

/-/-/

"What in the world could be causing this?" Professor Juniper wondered. Beside her, an assistant held a device to detect the source of the disturbance and was pointing it into the cave entrance. Coming from somewhere inside the cave, a deep voice could be heard echoing loudly from the darkness.

"We've been hearing that for quite a while now." another assistant remarked.

"Wha… what could that be?" Bianca asked, cowering behind Cilan.

"Maa-naaa…" worried Manaphy, shivering.

"Well, I guess we're gonna find out!" Ash declared.

"Pi-ka-chu!" Pikachu agreed determinedly. The group proceeded into the cave, with Professor Juniper leading the way.

As the group continued, the deep voice from earlier was heard again, but louder.

"It's coming from over there." pointed out an assistant.

"Look! What are those?" Ash exclaimed, causing everyone to turn and look at the strange sight before them.

Floating in midair were what appeared to be metal gears. They were in separate interlocking pairs and were turning on their own.

"Klink. Kli-klink klink klink…" they droned. Ash quickly consulted the Pokédex.

_***Klink, the Gear Pokémon. In order for Klink to survive, it produces energy by spinning its twin, interlocking bodies.***_

But the Klink were not responsible for the sound; they all appeared perfectly healthy.

"This way. It must be farther, up ahead." Professor Juniper said as the group continued deeper into the cave.

"There. It's coming from that Klinklang." she said, pointing towards another, larger gear-like Pokémon resting on a rock. Unlike the Klink, its gears appeared to be jammed. Ash stepped forward to check the Pokédex again.

_***Klinklang, the Gear Pokémon and the final evolved form of Klink. Klinklang uses its spikes to fire charged energy into its environment, using its red core as an energy tank.***_

As if to demonstrate the Pokédex's entry, the Klinklang immediately charged up an energy bolt and shot it straight towards the young trainer.

"Ash, no!" May cried. She dove at Ash and tackled him to the ground, dodging the energy shot by inches. The two half-dragged each other into cover behind a large rock, with Pikachu and Manaphy holding on to their trainers for dear life.

"Something's wrong with Klinklang!" Cilan warned, dodging another energy bolt.

Despite the salvo of electricity being fired by Klinklang, Professor Juniper was able to approach the agitated Pokémon with a small device in her hands. She turned the crank on the machine while aiming it at Klinklang, which seemed to calm it down. She explained that the machine emits sound waves that the Pokémon respond well to.

Finally, Klinklang calmed down enough for the Professor to safely remove the object jamming its gears.

"A… pen?" May asked, perplexed.

"Now where could that have come from?" Iris wondered.

"Sure doesn't look like Team Rocket's handiwork." Ash commented.

Klinklang was behaving normally again, though something did seem to be bothering Professor Juniper when one of her assistants reported that they weren't picking up any signs of any other people in the area. Nevertheless, the electrical disturbance was fixed, and the group exited the cave, eager to get back to the trade.

/-/-/

Back in Professor Juniper's tent, the Poké Balls of both Karrablast and Shelmet were placed in the trade machine as it was started up. The trade took a few moments, and when it was complete, Professor Juniper handed Bianca the ball containing what would become her new Escavalier.

"Finally! Thank you so much!" Bianca excitedly thanked Professor Juniper.

Back outside, both Pokémon were released to allow them to evolve. Professor Juniper went first, calling out Shelmet. As soon as it appeared, Shelmet instantly changed form. In its place stood a Pokémon with a large, pink, helmet-like head and a body wrapped in what looked like bluish-grey cloth.

"Accelgor!" it announced as Bianca scanned it with her Pokédex.

_***Accelgor, the Shell Out Pokémon and the evolved form of Shelmet. Accelgor has become much more agile since its shell was removed, allowing it to move like a ninja when battling.***_

Bianca then released Karrablast, who was immediately replaced by a Pokémon resembling a Karrablast dressed in Shelmet's armor. Its grey helmet had a red crest on top, and its lower body was encased in more grey armor, ending in a spiral. Its arms were replaced by sharp, red-striped lances.

"Escavalier!" it exclaimed, punctuating its speech by jabbing the air with its lances.

"Whoa!" Ash admired, consulting the Pokédex.

_***Escavalier, the Cavalry Pokémon and the evolved form of Karrablast. Escavalier's body is protected by steel armor.***_

Bianca went over to greet the newly-evolved Pokémon, but unfortunately, Escavalier wasn't in a talking mood and began angrily chasing her, swinging and jabbing with its lances.

"Help! HELP! Make him stop!" Bianca shrieked as she was chased back and forth. The rest of the group was torn between being concerned, and being slightly amused. Fortunately, Professor Juniper stepped in and ordered Accelgor to use Substitute. This distracted Escavalier long enough for Bianca to return it to its Poké Ball. She looked to Professor Juniper, a bewildered expression on her face.

"Why is Escavalier so angry?" she asked.

"Well, Escavalier is still Karrablast on the inside, meaning it still has Karrablast's aggressive personality." the Professor explained.

"Well, Escavalier's aggression is sure to make for a far more flavorful battle than Shelmet's timidness." Cilan offered.

"Not if Bianca can't handle Escavalier." countered Iris.

"I'm sure that isn't true. Not every trainer gets off to a good start with their Pokémon." May replied. Ash agreed, remembering how he and Pikachu had gotten off to a somewhat shaky start, despite now being inseparable.

"There must be something we can do!" Bianca said worriedly.

"Well, how about a Tag Battle?" Professor Juniper suggested. "That would surely help Escavalier burn off its energy and aggression a bit." Then, turning to the rest of the group: "Ash, would you do the honor of being our opponent?"

"My pleasure." Ash replied, grinning. "And May, would you do the honor of being my partner?"

May stepped up beside Ash and took his hand, smiling.

"You know it. Just like old times." she responded. She turned and nodded to Manaphy, who returned the nod and jumped off to wait on the sidelines. The couple took their position on the battlefield as Cilan again took on the role of judge.

"The Tag Battle between Professor Juniper and Bianca against Ash and May is about to commence." Cilan announced. "Each trainer will use one Pokémon, and the battle is over once both Pokémon on a team are unable to continue. Alright, let the battle begin!"

"Boldore, I choose you!" Ash called, releasing his Ore Pokémon.

"Glaceon, take the stage!" May commanded, calling out her Fresh Snow Pokémon.

"Accelgor, come out!" Professor Juniper shouted, bringing her new Bug-Type out.

"Go, Escavalier!" Bianca ordered, though still feeling a bit unsure, especially as the Cavalry Pokémon turned and glared at her as it emerged from its ball.

"Boldore, use Rock Smash!" Ash ordered quickly, trying to get the upper hand right away. The attack landed a hit on both Escavalier and Accelgor, throwing them back.

"Glaceon, Ice Shard!" May followed up. Glaceon opened her mouth and fired countless shards of ice at the two Bug-Type opponents.

"Dodge it and use Quick Attack!" Professor Juniper ordered Accelgor. Accelgor complied, moving in close and scoring a hit on Glaceon with Quick Attack, though Escavalier had been hit by the Ice Shard attack.

"C'mon Bianca, attack!" Iris shouted from the sidelines.

"Uhh… ummm… Escavalier…?" Bianca stuttered, unsure of what to do. Deciding to take the initiative itself, Escavalier took off towards its opponents without orders. Unfortunately, it wasn't battling very effectively on its own, though the rest of the group was impressed, thinking Bianca was commanding it.

"Nice one, Bianca!" Iris cheered. "You and Escavalier make a great team!"

"Uh, well, not exactly." Bianca admitted. "I haven't given Escavalier any commands yet. It's sure harder to deal with than my little Shelmet…"

"We'd better focus on Escavalier first." Ash suggested.

"Agreed. Glaceon, Shadow Ball!" May commanded. Glaceon obeyed, forming a shadowy ball and sending it at Ecavalier, who was still trying to do things on its own and was making another charge at the opposing Pokémon. It dodged the Shadow Ball with ease, not even slowing down.

"Boldore, Rock Blast! Quick!" Ash hurriedly instructed. Boldore quickly fired off several sheets of rock, landing numerous direct hits on Escavalier, throwing it back again.

"Escavalier!" Bianca cried out in concern as Escavalier was sent sliding back on the ground. Thinking quickly, Professor Juniper had Accelgor use Substitute, protecting Escavalier from further damage. Realizing the trick, Ash and May began looking around warily for the real Accelgor.

"Great going, Accelgor!" Iris cheered the Shell Out Pokémon on.

Escavalier, seemingly surprised by Accelgor's intervention, began looking around quickly as Accelgor came limping up beside him. Unfortunately, things weren't looking too good for Accelgor, the Substitute attack having drained it considerably.

"A… Acce… celgor…" it stuttered, struggling to stay on its feet.

"One more hit like that, and it's over for Accelgor!" Iris warned.

"Pi-kaaa!" Pikachu cheered, clearly rooting for Ash and May.

"Mana!" Manaphy agreed, offering his own support.

"Boldore, Flash Cannon! Go!" Ash ordered, hoping to take advantage of Accelgor's vulnerability. Boldore charged up the attack before firing a massive beam of light at Accelgor. At that moment, however, Escavalier leapt in front of its weakened comrade and criss-crossed its lances, managing to block the Flash Cannon.

"Glaceon, Ice Shard on Escavalier!" May commanded as her Ice-Type fired another barrage of sharp icicles at the armored Bug-Type.

"Escavalier, please! Use Iron Defense!" Bianca shouted, half-pleadingly. Escavalier, finally deciding to acknowledge its new trainer, obeyed and encased its body in a pale bluish glow, easily repelling the Ice-Type attack directed towards it.

"Yes! Escavalier is finally listening to me!" Bianca cheered.

"Accelgor, let's get you fixed up! Use Recover!" Professor Juniper commanded. Accelgor became surrounded in a pulsating red light. When it faded, Accelgor looked up, far more energized than it was only seconds before.

"A-ccelgor!" it roared, rejuvenated.

"Crap!" Ash growled in frustration.

"We almost beat him, too!" May groaned.

"Alright Bianca, time for a counterattack!" Professor Juniper instructed. She quickly ordered Accelgor to perform a Quick Attack as Bianca ordered a Fury Attack from Escavalier. Ash and May, caught off-guard by the impressive speed of their opponents' Pokémon, were unable to react as both attacks connected with their intended targets, knocking them back in a heap.

"Quick, before they recover, we'll combine Hyper Beams and take them both out at once!" Professor Juniper said quickly to Bianca.

"Now, double Hyper Beam!" they shouted in unison as their respective Pokémon each fired a stream of white light, which then merged and formed one massive beam.

"Boldore, protect Glaceon!" Ash ordered. Though badly damaged, Boldore complied and hurled its body in front of Glaceon, taking the full blast and being sent flying back, swirls in its eyes.

"Boldore is unable to continue!" Cilan announced.

"Boldore, return." Ash said, recalling his fallen Ore Pokémon. Then, turning to May: "It's up to you, May. You've got this!"

May nodded, greatly encouraged by seeing that Ash truly trusted her abilities. She turned back to the battle as Bianca and Professor Juniper high-fived, celebrating their minor victory over Boldore. They each had a grin on their faces, clearly doubting that May's Glaceon would be a challenge.

"Alright, double Hyper Beam!" they again shouted in unison as their Pokémon once again executed the combo. May grinned. That was exactly what she had been hoping they would do.

"Glaceon, use Mirror Coat!" May commanded. Glaceon, grinning as well, obeyed the command and became covered in a white, reflective substance. As soon as the dual Hyper Beam connected, it was halted, then deflected right back at its users. Bianca and Professor Juniper were too taken by surprise at having their attack reflected to react. Once the smoke cleared, Escavalier and Accelgor were both sprawled out on the ground, swirls in their eyes.

"Accelgor and Escavalier are both unable to continue!" Cilan announced. "The winners are Ash and May!"

"We did it!" May cheered as she and Ash embraced one another.

"Phi! Mama and papa win!" Manaphy cheered excitedly, leaping back into May's arms. May smiled at the little Water-Type's enthusiasm.

"Well Manaphy, next time I think I'll let you help." May assured her child with a grin. "We need to start training you up!"

"Manaphy help mama win!" Manaphy cried happily, excited by the prospect of participating in a battle.

Ash laughed as he patted Manaphy on the head.

"Hey, don't forget about papa! He could always use a hand, too!" Ash chuckled as the little Seafaring Pokémon smiled up at him.

/-/-/

Seeming to have finally bonded with Escavalier, Bianca said her good-byes as she prepared to depart from the group and head on her way.

"May, it was really great meeting you! And your adorable little Manaphy too, of course!" she smiled, petting Manaphy's head, much to his enjoyment.

"It was great getting to know you too, Bianca. I look forward to seeing you around some more." May replied.

"Same here. Well, gotta run! I'll see you guys later!" Bianca called back, skipping off cheerfully as the group waved.

"So May, what did you think of her?" Ash asked, turning to May with a grin.

"I'll say this much: she certainly made my first day with you guys an interesting one." May answered, eliciting a laugh from the group.

Suddenly, from the entrance of the cave behind the group, an older man with light grayish-brown hair and a beard stumbled out of the cave, seemingly exhausted, before fainting. The group looked over in concern as Professor Juniper rushed over to help him, recognizing him at once.

It was her father, Cedric Juniper.

* * *

><p><strong>I really need to stop getting distracted. There's no excuse for this.<strong>

**Stupidly long waiting time aside, I hope you guys enjoyed! Again, a bit of an unoriginal chapter, as I'm kinda getting writer's block. Things will get more interesting, I promise. Until next time, sayonara!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own any part of this story. All rights go to Nintendo for use of their characters, etc.**

* * *

><p>Chapter 3: Ruckus in the Ruins<p>

"Feeling better?"

Nodding, Cedric Juniper finished the food in his mouth before replying to his daughter.

"Much better."

After having fainted outside Chargestone Cave, Cedric was helped into Professor Juniper's tent by the group. After resting a bit and getting some food in his stomach, Cedric had formally introduced himself to the group.

"So you're Professor Juniper's father?" Ash inquired.

"Indeed I am. I'm also a Pokémon researcher. I specialize in Legendary Pokémon, including Reshiram, Zekrom… and your Manaphy." Cedric responded, glancing at the Pokémon in May's arms. "It's amazing you managed to catch one. They're so rare, and I've never even seen one in person before!" he continued, marveling at the Legendary Water-Type.

"Well… it's kind of a long story." May replied sheepishly.

"So anyway, what brings you to these parts?" Professor Juniper asked.

"My research, of course! Some fascinating ruins were recently discovered around here, and there's evidence to suggest that it links to Zekrom and the Hero's Legend!" Cedric replied excitedly.

"Zekrom? Hero's Legend?" May asked.

"Ah, you must be new to the region." Cedric guessed. "Zekrom is a Legendary Pokémon that is said to aid someone who wants to build a world of ideals. According to the legend, Zekrom will descend and lend its power to the Hero who turns darkness into light."

"Wow…" Ash marveled at the thought of maybe seeing Zekrom. "Could we come with you?"

"I don't think…" Cedric began, causing everyone to moan in disappointment.

"…there's any reason you shouldn't." he finished, causing everyone to raise an eyebrow.

"My father gets a little distracted and forgets to finish his sentences sometimes." Professor Juniper explained.

"So… you're saying we can go with you?" May asked.

"Absolutely!" Cedric replied happily, eliciting a cheer from everyone. "We'd better get going. If we're lucky, maybe we'll even get a chance to catch a glimpse of Zekrom itself while we're there!"

Excited by the prospect of actually seeing the legendary Dragon/Electric-Type Pokémon, the group said their goodbyes to Professor Juniper and followed Cedric as they set off on their next adventure.

/-/-/

After hours of hiking through the woods and caves, the group set up camp for the night in the forest. Using the ingredients he brought with him, Cilan was able to prepare a simple yet delicious meal for everyone. He even prepared some special Pokémon food for Axew and Pikachu, but became rather indignant when Pikachu showed more interest in a ketchup bottle than in his food.

For May, having such a talented chef with them was rather nostalgic, as Cilan reminded her of Brock in that respect. She thought about all the good times the group had on their adventures, and couldn't help but wonder where they were now. Heck, she hadn't even heard from her own brother, Max, for quite a while. Then again, he was probably busy, having started his own journey as a trainer not long ago. She reflected on these thoughts as she sat in front of the campfire, absent-mindedly stroking Manaphy's head as he munched on a Poffin.

"Whatcha thinkin' about, May?" Ash asked her, jarring May out of her reverie.

"Oh, just thinking about the 'good old days'. Y'know, our first journey together." May replied with a smile.

Ash nodded and smiled as well, recalling those fond memories and how they were the beginning of their life together.

"I wonder how the others are. Brock stayed in Kanto to study to become a Pokémon doctor, but what about Max?" Ash asked.

"He started his own journey as a trainer a few months ago," May replied.

"Really?" Ash asked, raising an eyebrow. "I wonder how he'll react when he finds out about us being together now."

"For Arceus' sake, Ash, he thinks the world of you!" May laughed. "You should've heard him when first called to tell me about his journey; he wouldn't stop talking about how much he was looking forward to battling you and showing you his progress. He'll probably think it's the coolest thing ever!"

"You're right," Ash replied, smiling. "I don't need to worry about him. Your father, on the other hand, is a different story."

"Ugh, will you stop being so paranoid?" May groaned, giving Ash a playful shove. "I can't see my dad having a problem with this. He thinks you're a great guy, really. Besides, given the choice, I'm sure he'd rather have me be with you than with Drew."

"Can't argue with that," Ash replied with a grin.

"Besides," May continued, "I'm sure mom and dad wouldn't object to having grandchildren."

At that, Ash's eyes widened and his face turned beet red.

"Uh… May… you think it's maybe… a little too soon to be thinking about that?" he stammered.

May rolled her eyes and gave Ash another shove as she replied.

"Ash, I was talking about Manaphy." she clarified, nodding to their Pokémon child snuggled in her arms. Ash breathed a sigh of relief, laughing nervously.

"Although…" May added in a seductive tone as she leaned closer to Ash, "…eventually, Manaphy might want a little brother or sister."

Ash grinned as he leaned over and pressed his lips to May's.

"Eventually." he replied with a wink.

/-/-/

The next morning, the group arrived at the entrance to the ruins and proceeded inside. Cedric warned them to be cautious of possible traps, though, which put them on edge a bit.

Presently, the group arrived at what appeared to be a dead end; a stone wall with strange writing on it.

"Look, there's something in the wall!" Iris pointed out. The group approached and examined what seemed to be a small Venipede statue set in an indent in the wall. Next to it was an ancient inscription in an odd language.

"It's the first trap." Cedric warned. He took out a small book and began translating the inscription as the others examined the statue.

"Alright," Cedric began, "The text says that turning the statue to the left…"

"Like this?" Cilan asked, turning the statue.

"…is not a good idea!" Cedric finished. But it was too late as the wall slid down, revealing a massive boulder which began to roll towards the group.

"CRAP!" Ash exclaimed as the group began to run.

"PIKA!" Pikachu agreed. Fortunately, Cilan's Pansage used Dig, creating a hole in the floor and providing an escape as the boulder just barely missed the group.

"Ungh! Next time, could we maybe try letting the Professor finish his sentence before we do anything?" May remarked angrily, earning an agreement from everyone.

Proceeding, the group came to a deep chasm with two wooden bridges.

"One of them must be a trap," Ash commented. "Which one is it, Professor?"

"Let's see," Cedric began, consulting his book, "Crossing the bridge on the right side is wrong…"

Yet again failing to wait, Ash and Cilan moved on to the left bridge… only to have it collapse beneath them.

"…and the bridge on the left is wrong as well." Cedric finished, much to the chagrin of Ash and Cilan as they held on to the remains of the bridge while May and Iris helped pull them up.

"Did we not discuss this?" May asked the two, annoyed by their lack of patience.

"Mana! Mana-mana! Phi!" Manaphy agreed from May's shoulder, crossing his arms.

"Okay, okay." Ash sighed, holding his hands up. "We'll try to be more patient."

Fortunately, Axew had already discovered an alternate path to allow the group to continue. Following it, they arrived in front of three cave entrances, painted to resemble Golett, Darumaka, and Krokorok.

"Any clues this time?" Iris asked Cedric.

"Not here." he replied.

"Well, let's try the Darumaka cave." Ash suggested.

The group entered the Darumaka cave, but only made it a few steps before walls of fire erupted from the ground around them, trapping them.

"Crap, it was a trap!" Ash yelled, stumbling away from the fire.

"Manaphy, use Water Gun, quick!" May shouted. The legendary Water-Type jumped down from his perch and used the move, dousing the flames blocking the path from which they came.

"Okay, how about the Krokorok cave?" Ash said after the group had retreated from the Darumaka cave. There were no words of protest.

Unfortunately, this cave turned out to be a trap as well. This became apparent when the walls began moving and closing in on the group, and only Iris's Excadrill holding the walls saved them as they fled.

"Well, the Golett cave must be it." Ash said.

"Of course. I knew that the whole time." Cedric revealed, causing everyone to minorly freak out.

"And you didn't tell us?!" Cilan exclaimed.

"That's doing things the easy way. Where's the fun in that?" Cedric asked, laughing.

"Well, it was pretty fun." Ash grinned, causing May and Iris to stare at him in disbelief.

"Ash, I'm not sure 'fun' is the right word." May replied as both she and Manaphy exchanged glances with sweat drops on their foreheads.

"I gotta agree with May." Iris added.

Continuing ahead, the group arrived in a hallway lined with several Egyptian-style sarcophagi. As they moved on to the next area, the group didn't notice one of the coffins slide away from the wall. After passing through a large revolving door, which was surprisingly not a trap, the group found themselves inside a cavernous room with stairs leading to a lower level.

"Look, down there," Iris called, pointing towards the center of the room's lower level. There was a circular area surrounded by blue crystals.

"These crystals have been present in other ruins I've explored," Cedric began. "It's likely this is where the Hero and Zekrom made contact!"

The others were amazed to hear this. Suddenly, Pikachu got their attention.

"Pika-pi!" called the Electric-Type, pointing at a round glowing object embedded in the floor.

"What is that?" Ash wondered aloud as he bent down to examine it, only to be quickly yanked back by Cedric.

"Careful!" he warned. "If I'm not mistaken, that's the Golden Dark Stone. It was used to contact Zekrom, so it's liable to be booby-trapped. Because of its importance, its traps are certain to be far, far deadlier than the ones we've encountered already."

Ash and Pikachu gulped nervously, imagining the gruesome result of getting caught in whatever traps were rigged to the stone.

Deciding that they had come far enough, the group turned around to head back. Suddenly, a colorful, winged Pokémon with a round body and a third eye protruding from the top of its head swooped down from the opening at the top of the chamber and headed towards the group. Ash was quick to pull out his Pokédex and scan the creature.

_***Sigilyph, the Avianoid Pokémon. Sigilyph keeps enemies from invading its territory with its Psychic powers and was the guardian of cities long ago.***_

The Sigilyph then fired a powerful Psybeam attack at the group, knocking them back. Ash recovered first and was quick to react.

"Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!" Ash commanded. The yellow Mouse Pokémon obeyed, but missed as Sigilyph was quick to dodge the incoming Electric-Type attack. The Psychic-Type responded by using Mirror Move, which gave the group a painful shock. It then used Hypnosis, putting Pikachu to sleep.

"Ah, hell!" Iris yelled.

"Quick, run for it!" Cedric exclaimed. The group retreated from the chamber and found themselves back in the hallway with the coffins. The lids were off, revealing them to all be empty. The group hid inside them and stayed put until Sigilyph moved on.

"That was a close one," May commented as Pikachu recovered from the Hypnosis attack and woke up.

"Wait, where's Iris?" Cedric wondered.

"Iris, you can come out now!" Ash called, looking towards the coffin Iris hid in. The coffin opened and revealed what at first seemed to be another coffin… until it revealed a face and four shadowy arms as it leapt out of the coffin and crawled towards the group. May pulled out her Pokédex and aimed it at the living coffin.

_***Cofagrigus, the Coffin Pokémon and the evolved form of Yamask. People who approach Cofagrigus are swallowed and turned into mummies. It loves to eat gold.***_

Cofagrigus used Telekinesis to hold the others at bay, causing them to float in midair.

"May! Stop him!" Cilan called, as May was the only one not immobilized by the Cofagrigus.

"Manaphy, quick! Use Water Pulse!" May instructed as her Seafaring Pokémon jumped down and formed an orb of water before sending it at Cofagrigus. The attack connected, and Cofagrigus became confused as it slowly turned in her direction.

"Co-fa-grigus!" it roared, firing a Ghost-Type attack at Manaphy. Due to its confusion, it was inaccurate and the Water-Type easily dodged it.

"Great! Now use Bubble Beam!" May commanded.

"Mana!" the Water-Type acknowledged, releasing a stream of bubbles at the coffin-like Pokémon. The attack connected, knocking out Cofagrigus as it fell to the ground, dumping out Iris and Axew, who were both wrapped in bandages like mummies.

"Well, you all just took your sweet old time, didn't you?!" Iris blurted out as she was unwrapped.

"You're welcome," May replied sarcastically as Manaphy jumped into her arms, both of them sighing in frustration.

The group fled through another passage, only to find themselves in another area filled with Cofagrigus. They kept going before running into the Sigilyph from earlier, who began chasing them with its Psybeam attack.

"Why is everything in these ruins trying to kill us!?" May yelled.

"It's not like we stole the Golden Dark Stone or anything!" Cilan added.

"Actually, that's exactly what we did!" Cedric admitted, revealing that he was holding onto the Dark Stone in question.

"You… have got… TO BE KIDDING ME!" Iris shrieked.

"Professor, I thought you told us _not_ to touch that!" Ash exclaimed.

"I did, but how could I resist? You can't blame me for trying!" Cedric replied, laughing. "But we've had our fun. I guess I'll return it…"

Unfortunately, this was too little, too late; Sigilyph fired its Psybeam again just as the mob of Cofagrigus caught up to them, sending the group flying through a passage in the wall. They were deposited in a flooded underground cavern, where Cedric revealed that this is where he intended for them to end up; it was where Zekrom appeared and used its power to help the Hero in the myth.

Inspired by the story, the group was determined to escape as well and began searching for an exit. Finally, they found one, which conveniently led right back into the chamber where the Golden Dark Stone was before.

"There. Returned safe and sound." Cedric said as he placed the stone back into its place. The pursuing Pokémon seemed to disregard this, though, as the Cofagrigus and Sigilyph converged on the group.

"Look, we're sorry alright!" Ash cried out. "We returned the Golden Dark Stone to its rightful place! Stop attacking us!"

Cofagrigus responded by launching them through the opening at the top of the chamber with its Telekinesis. As the Cofagrigus withdrew its Telekinesis, the group began hurtling towards the ground, screaming and clutching their Pokémon tightly.

"Quick, we've only got one chance!" Cedric shouted. "Zekrom aided the Hero only when their hearts became one, right? That's what you've got to do! Link your hearts with your Pokémon!"

Focusing as hard as they could, each member of the group recalled every fond memory they had with their Pokémon. They all loved their Pokémon dearly, thinking of how happy they made them. Finally, their descent slowed until they were brought down to a safe landing on the ground. In front of them were Sigilyph and Cofagrigus, both having calmed down after being convinced of the group's love for Pokémon. The group offered their thanks as the Pokémon departed.

/-/-/

Back outside the ruins, Cedric prepared to take his leave of the group to continue exploring the ruins.

"Thanks for letting us tag along, professor!" Ash said, smiling.

"I have to admit, it was kinda fun," May added, grinning.

"It was a most flavorful experience, professor!" Cilan agreed. "Hope we can do it again sometime!"

"If I find any more ruins that need exploring, I know just who to call," Cedric replied with a grin. "Until then, I hope to see you around!" he finished, heading off as everyone said their goodbyes.

And with that, our heroes continued on their way to Mistralton City.

* * *

><p><strong>I have returned!<strong>

**Seriously though, from now on I'm gonna make sure I warn you guys if I'm gonna be taking a break or whatever for this long. Hopefully I'll have some free time coming up for writing, so expect my next update to be sooner than this one. Until then, everyone!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I do not own any part of this story. All rights go to Nintendo for use of their characters, etc.**

* * *

><p>Chapter 4: Mistralton Mischief<p>

"Pikachu, Quick Attack! Go!" Ash shouted. The Mouse Pokémon complied, slamming into the snout of his sunglasses-wearing opponent.

The group had finally reached Mistralton City, only to be ambushed by the sunglasses-wearing Krokorok that had long since established itself as Pikachu's rival. The group explained this to May, who was amazed that a Pokémon could be so persistent in targeting someone.

Recovering from the Quick Attack, Krokorok retaliated with a Stone Edge attack.

"Dodge it!" Ash commanded.

Pikachu dodged the attack easily enough, only to find himself trapped in a circle formed by the stones. Quick to capitalize on his momentary advantage, Krokorok used Dig to tunnel underground and headed for Pikachu.

"Careful, Pikachu! Watch for when he surfaces!" Ash cautioned.

Despite Pikachu's vigilance, the Desert Croc Pokémon was able to take him by surprise as it surfaced behind the Electric-Type and struck him with its tail, sending Pikachu flying. Fortunately, Pikachu regained his composure and was no longer trapped by the stone circle.

"Kroko-ROK!" the opposing Pokémon roared, charging towards Pikachu again.

"Pikachu, use Thunderbolt! Aim for the ground in front of it!" Ash ordered. Pikachu obeyed, creating a small hole in front of Krokorok which caused it to trip and faceplant.

"That was a clever move," commented Iris.

"Well, it's good to see Ash has gotten a little less predictable since our first adventure," replied May. Although she loved Ash passionately, even May had to admit that he wasn't the most complex guy around.

Executing another Quick Attack, Pikachu slammed into Krokorok with enough force to send its sunglasses flying off of its face. This left Krokorok open as it fumbled around, searching for its glasses.

"Quick, now's your chance, Ash!" Cilan shouted, urging Ash to take advantage of the situation.

"No," Ash replied, refusing to attack. "That would be a cheap shot. Pikachu and Krokorok need to settle this score, fair and square."

Krokorok finally recovered its glasses and, putting them back on, whipped around and prepared to use Crunch as it came barreling towards Pikachu.

"Pikachu, Iron Tail! Now!" Ash shouted.

Pikachu charged forward before using Iron Tail with all of his strength as the two Pokémon collided head-on. Both Pokémon were left standing for a moment, until Krokorok crumpled to the ground in defeat.

Behind them, the group cheered for Ash and Pikachu as it appeared the yellow Electric-Type had finally bested his rival.

"Nice going, Ash!" Cilan cheered.

"You too, Pikachu! Way to go!" May added.

"Ma-na!" Manaphy agreed, jumping down from May's shoulder to congratulate his Electric-Type comrade.

Meanwhile, Ash approached Krokorok as it recovered, checking to see if it was alright. As he did so, Krokorok turned away and began to slink off dejectedly with its head hung in shame as it couldn't believe how easily it had been defeated.

"Krokorok isn't taking its loss very well," Iris observed.

"Well, Krokorok _did_ give it his all and still came up short. That's not something that happens without a little disappointment," May replied as the group watched Krokorok depart. Ash felt sorriest for it, wishing he could cheer Krokorok up.

"Hey, wait!" Ash called after it. Krokorok turned, wondering what he wanted.

"You really did a great job in that battle. I can tell how much potential you have, so why not join my team?" Ash asked. "You'd be a great help!"

Hearing this, Krokorok's face lit up and it excitedly nodded its head 'yes'.

"Alright!" Ash smiled, pulling out a Poké Ball and throwing it at the Desert Croc Pokémon. Krokorok went inside and was caught after a few shakes.

"Alright! I caught a Krokorok!" Ash cheered.

"Pi-Pika!" Pikachu cheered as well, jumping happily.

"Aww, that was sweet of you to do that for Krokorok." May said, giving Ash a peck on the cheek.

"Papa nice!" agreed Manaphy, nuzzling his 'father' affectionately.

Ash blushed, but grinned nevertheless as he hugged both of them. Now with a new addition, the group proceeded onward to Mistralton.

/-/-/

It was already pretty late in the evening by the time the group arrived at the Mistralton Pokémon Center and got their Pokémon healed. May had confirmed that the next Contest was being held here, while Ash was naturally focused on his next Gym badge. Iris and Cilan graciously took separate rooms to allow Ash and May to have some space for themselves.

"I'm sure you guys are gonna need the extra room once the ingredients _really_ start mixing," Cilan said, twitching his eyebrows and winking at Ash.

"Heh, I'll remember that. Thanks," Ash replied, laughing nervously as he headed off to his and May's room. As he entered, he and Pikachu were both floored by May's dress. She had on a stunning sequined scarlet-red gown, a pearl necklace, and her hair was let loose.

"Piii-kaaa…" Pikachu marveled.

"So… uh… what's… the occasion?" Ash stuttered, getting over his momentary shock.

May made a mock-hurt expression before replying, "What? First night in a new town and you're not even going to offer to take me out?"

"Oh, I, uhhh…" Ash stuttered once more. _Man_, he thought, _I suck at this._

"Save it," May giggled, "I guess I'll just have to do the asking."

Ash smiled gratefully at May as he replied, "Yeah, a night out on the town would be fun. Just, uh, give me a few minutes to change…"

As soon as Ash was sure he was out of sight, he began panicking.

"Oh man, oh man, oh man, I am so screwed! I don't even know this city, where should I take her, what should we do, what…!?"

Rolling his eyes, Pikachu delivered a quick shock to his friend to bring him back to reality.

"…Thanks, Pikachu. I needed that," Ash said, coughing out a bit of smoke.

"Pi-ka," Pikachu replied. "Pika-chu. Pika-pika chu!"

"You're right," Ash agreed. "I just need to play it cool, and stick with something simple."

Changing quickly into his Sinnoh traveling clothes, Ash went back into the other room, where May was patiently waiting.

"Ready?" she asked.

"Ready when you are," Ash replied. Then, he turned to Pikachu.

"Pikachu, I'm gonna need you to watch Manaphy while we're gone. You guys try not to get into too much trouble," he said, grinning at his Electric-Type companion.

"Pi-ka!" Pikachu replied, returning the grin.

"And Manaphy, be good for Pikachu," May said to her Water-Type son.

"Maa-na!" Manaphy cheerfully replied.

Smiling, the two trainers waved goodbye to their Pokémon and headed out, arm in arm.

/-/-/

"Geez, May. Did you really have to dress so nicely? By comparison, I feel _way_ out of my league," Ash said half-jokingly as the two walked through downtown Mistralton.

"But I've been waiting for an excuse to wear this!" May replied. "I bought it a while back, thinking it would make a good Contest outfit. And that… didn't go as planned. Besides, there's nothing wrong with your outfit. It's cute!" she finished.

Ash smiled slightly as he responded, "Well, even without the dress, you'd still seem out of my league. How can I _not_ feel inadequate with such a beautiful girl next to me?"

At this, May fell silent as her face turned a deep shade of red. Ash chuckled as he put his arm around her waist and drew her closer to him.

"You know it's true," he insisted, before lifting her face up and brought his lips to hers. "You really are beautiful."

"Love you," May sighed as she rested her head on Ash's shoulder.

"You too," Ash replied.

Walking around a bit longer, the couple decided to have dinner in a small family-style restaurant. They entered and sat down, ordering a couple of drinks and chatting as they looked over the menu.

"So, our first official date," Ash began. "I know this might not be the most glamorous place for it, but…"

"Ash, it's just you and me, together. How much more 'glamorous' does it need to be?" May interrupted. Ash grinned as he replied.

"That's true. No one else, no Pokémon. Just the two of us. Nothing beats it. Besides," he continued, "I knew that if food was involved, it wouldn't be a total loss for you either way."

They both laughed over this, and the conversation soon turned to tomorrow's events. They discussed Ash's upcoming Gym battle and May's Contest while they ate. Despite its average appearance, the restaurant had surprisingly good food, and they stayed for dessert as well.

Ash, ever the gentleman, paid for everything despite May's protests.

"There is no way I'm letting my girlfriend pay for the first date," Ash sternly told her with an over-exaggeratedly serious look. "You're gonna be spoiled tonight, and you're gonna like it!"

"Alright, I suppose I can live with being spoiled for a night," May acquiesced with a wink and a smile.

Continuing on, the two found a small park. It was mostly empty, and they found a nice secluded spot where things got a bit… steamy, until Ash noticed the time and realized the Pokémon Center would be closing its doors soon.

"Although," Ash began as the two headed back, "perhaps we can continue this back at the room?"

"Sorry Ash, but not in front of the kids," May replied. It took Ash a moment to understand that, before he realized she was referring to their Pokémon.

"Ah, I should've known you'd go back into 'Mom Mode' around them," Ash replied with a bit of disappointment.

"Don't be disappointed, there's no need to rush things," May replied. "I'm not leaving you again. There will be plenty of time for _fun_," she finished, saying the last word in a slightly seductive tone, and Ash cheered up as they arrived at the Pokémon Center and headed back to their room, hand in hand.

"Mama! Papa!" Manaphy cried happily, launching himself excitedly towards his parents as they entered the room. They caught him as he wrapped his flipper-like arms around them in a hug.

"Hi, Manaphy! Were you good for Pikachu?" May asked her Seafaring Pokémon. Smiling, Manaphy cheerfully nodded his head 'yes' as Ash looked to Pikachu, who also nodded his head.

"Pika!" Pikachu assured, confirming that there had been no problems.

The events from earlier that morning in the Hero's ruins finally began to catch up with the pair as they got ready for bed. Deciding to share a bed rather than be apart, May and Ash fell asleep in each other's arms that night, with Manaphy and Pikachu cuddled up to their respective trainers as closely as they could get.

/-/-/

The next day, everyone made sure to get an early start as Ash was anxious to get his next Gym badge. They were a bit perplexed, though, to find that the Gym was actually a cargo plane hangar.

"Huh, weird. Oh well, time for my Gym battle!" Ash said with his usual enthusiasm. As he began to rush into the Gym, he was stopped and told to wait in line.

"There's a line?" Ash asked.

"Yep. And you'll also need to schedule an appointment," answered the Gym attendant. "Shall I put you in for the afternoon group?"

"I don't think I've ever seen a Gym with people lined up to get in," Iris commented.

"Or a Gym that required scheduled appointments, for that matter," replied May.

"All I know is that _my_ Gym back in Striaton has never been this popular," added Cilan with a hint of envy.

A moment later, a plane landed on the runway and the pilot, a redheaded girl in a skimpy blue pilot suit, emerged from the cockpit.

"Are you the Gym Leader?" Ash asked.

"You got it!" she responded with a wink. "The name's Skyla, otherwise known as the Highflying Girl! Let's get these Gym battles started, shall we?"

Skyla produced three Poké Balls and threw them, releasing a Swoobat, an Unfezant, and a Swanna.

"Alright, I guess I'm up first!" shouted a boy from the crowd. He released three of his own Pokémon; a Zebstrika, a Boldore, and an Emolga.

"Alright, we're ready for the Air Battle!" Skyla exclaimed.

"Air Battle?" Ash repeated.

"It must be some kind of new battle type," Cilan guessed.

"Then this should be interesting," May finished.

The group watched with interest, anxious to see how this 'Air Battle' played out. Unfortunately, they were in for a bit of disappointment when no battling actually took place.

Instead of initiating a battle, the redhead Gym Leader simply closed her eyes for moment, as if thinking about something, before opening her eyes and looking at her opponent.

"Impressive show of strength! Here's the Jet Badge, you earned it!" she said as she handed the boy his Badge, leaving the group bewildered.

"Uh… what just happened?" Ash wondered out loud.

"It looked to me like she just gave away a free Badge," May replied.

"She didn't even put up a fight!" Cilan said incredulously, astounded that a Gym Leader would just hand out a Badge like that.

"Hey, wait up a second!" Ash called to the boy who had just 'won' the Badge. "What was that? You guys didn't even battle!"

"Sure we did," the boy replied matter-of-factly. "Skyla plays out every battle in her mind and evaluates the strengths and weaknesses of the Pokémon. That way, she knows the outcome before the battle even happens!"

"No wonder she can accommodate all these challengers," May commented, "She slacks off and _pretends_ to have a battle!"

"Well, at least it's time efficient," Iris offered.

"It's friggin' _stupid_ is what it is!" Ash snapped.

Meanwhile, Cilan was silently fuming as he watched the challengers, one after another, be either granted or denied a Badge without a single actual battle.

_She's a disgrace to Gym Leaders everywhere, and these 'battles' are such a sham!, _he thought angrily.

"Well, looks like I'm done for this morning!" Skyla said cheerfully as she saw that there were no more challengers. She turned around and began to walk back towards her plane before Cilan finally erupted.

"STOP!" he shouted, angrily stomping after her. The others followed close behind, as Ash was eager to see Cilan give Skyla a piece of his mind. Skyla turned around, confused as to who stopped her.

"What kind of Gym battles were those!?" Cilan demanded. "I didn't hear a single command given, or see a single move used!"

"It looked to us like you just handed Badges out for free!" May exclaimed.

"Or just denied them to trainers without giving them a chance to prove themselves," Ash added.

"Sorry, but if you have any questions, you'll have to come back during the afternoon session," Skyla replied nonchalantly. Completely disregarding the group, she turned and boarded her plane and took off, leaving the group thoroughly peeved.

/-/-/

"Man, this sucks," Ash sighed. Pokémon and trainer alike nodded their heads in agreement, not having any better way to put it.

After that morning's less-than-impressive display, the group's spirits were rather low. Ash was understandably disappointed, and Cilan was still furious from seeing a Gym Leader disregard her duties so carelessly.

After Skyla had blown them off, the group had encountered Skyla's grandfather, Miles. The former Mistralton Gym Leader told them about how Skyla used to do real battles when she first took over the Gym. He said she was really good at it, but the Gym became so popular that she had no time for herself anymore, which was why she invented the idea of 'Air battles" in the first place.

"So she neglects her duties to screw around!?" Cilan growled. "That's unacceptable!"

"I've tried to tell her that, but she just won't listen," Miles replied. "Nothing is gonna change her mind."

Now the group sat around, wondering what to do. Ash wasn't leaving Mistralton without his Badge, and he was determined to have a real battle for it.

"Well, sitting around here certainly isn't solving anything," Cilan said, standing up. "I'm going back there, and I'm gonna face her."

"What's the point? She'll probably just make you do another Air battle," Iris sighed.

"I won't take 'no' for an answer," Cilan replied. "She is going to listen. I'll show her that you can't predict a battle's outcome until it's actually over."

Returning to the hangar/Gym, the group met up with Skyla as she landed her plane and disembarked. When they met up, Cilan apologized for his earlier behavior and introduced himself as a fellow Gym Leader before requesting a battle.

"Hmmm… This is the first time I've met a Leader from a different Gym, let alone battled one," Skyla replied thoughtfully. "Alright, you're on!"

Although Skyla predicted that she would win against Cilan's Pansage, Crustle, and Stunfisk, Cilan was determined to prove her wrong as they faced each other with Miles acting as the judge.

"The 3-on-3 battle between Cilan and Skyla is about to begin," Miles announced. "The battle is over when all Pokémon on a team are unable to continue."

"Pansage, you're up!" Cilan called, releasing his Grass Monkey Pokémon.

"Swoobat, time for takeoff!" Skyla exclaimed, releasing her Psychic/Flying-Type Courting Pokémon.

"Battle begin!" Miles announced.

"Pansage, use Bullet Seed!" Cilan ordered. Pansage obeyed, firing numerous green seeds at Swoobat. Swoobat was too quick, though, and easily dodged the seeds before Skyla quickly counterattacked and had Swoobat use Air Cutter, landing a direct hit on Pansage and doing serious damage.

"Oh man, that doesn't look good," Ash grimaced.

"Pansage, quick! Use Bite!" Cilan called.

Pansage leapt at his opponent, but missed the attack as Swoobat dodged once again.

"I seem to have an unfair advantage; I'm actually hitting my target!" Skyla taunted. "Swoobat, finish this with Gust!"

Swoobat complied, blowing Pansage back in a heap.

"Pansage is unable to continue. Swoobat wins," Miles announced as Cilan returned Pansage and called out Crustle.

"Skyla's prediction is coming true," Iris said.

"It was a lucky guess, that's all," Ash replied, gritting his teeth in anger as he couldn't believe Pansage got knocked out without landing a single hit.

"It wasn't that unpredictable," May commented. "Swoobat does have a Type advantage, but then again, there is more to battling than just Types."

Back on the field, Cilan's Stone Home Pokémon emerged as Cilan gave it its orders.

"Crustle, Rock Wrecker!" Cilan commanded. Crustle immediately launched a massive boulder at Swoobat, scoring a direct hit and knocking it out of the air as it fell in defeat.

"Swoobat is unable to continue. Crustle is the winner," Miles announced.

"Way to go, Cilan!" Ash cheered.

"Come on, Cilan! Prove how wrong these Air battles are!" May cheered as well.

Skyla recalled Swoobat before releasing Unfezant.

"Crustle, use Rock Wrecker again!" Cilan ordered. Crustle launched another boulder at the Normal/Flying-Type. The attack connected, but Unfezant managed to stay in the air.

"Use Air Slash!" Skyla countered. Unfezant obeyed, but Crustle was left unharmed as it withdrew into its shell, blocking the attack.

"Crustle, use Shell Smash, then X-Scissor!" Cilan called. Leaping out of its shell, Crustle executed the moves with perfect accuracy, knocking Unfezant out.

"Unfezant is unable to continue. Crustle wins," Miles announced.

"All right! Looks like Skyla's Air battles aren't so accurate after all!" Ash cheered.

"Pi-ka!" Pikachu agreed.

"Swanna, let's fly together!" Skyla exclaimed, calling out her White Bird Pokémon.

Cilan ordered another Rock Wrecker attack from Crustle, but Swanna managed to dodge it before following up with BubbleBeam, causing Crustle to retreat back into its shell.

"Now use Brave Bird!" Skyla ordered. Swanna began diving towards Crustle when the Bug/Rock-Type jumped out of its shell as Cilan prepared to use the Shell Smash/X-Scissor combo again. Swanna changed direction and headed straight for Crustle as the two Pokémon's attacks collided head-on. When the dust settled, Crustle lay on its back with black spirals in its eyes.

"Crustle is unable to continue. Swanna wins," Miles announced.

_I cannot lose this!_ Cilan thought as he sent out his last Pokémon.

"Go, Stunfisk! Use ThunderShock!"

The attack connected though, despite its Type advantage, Swanna was not defeated.

"Swanna, use Hurricane!" Skyla commanded. The winds from the Hurricane blew Stunfisk high into the air, but Cilan used this to his advantage as he ordered Stunfisk to use Scald, leaving Swanna with a burn. Swanna healed itself Aqua Ring and, dodging a Mud Bomb attack from Stunfisk, defeated the Ground/Electric-Type Pokémon with Brave Bird.

Miles grudgingly declared Skyla the winner as Cilan fell to his knees with a look of shock on his face. He had failed to prove Skyla's methods wrong.

"Poor Cilan…" Iris said.

"I guess there's no convincing Skyla now," May sighed in disappointment.

Ash, however, wasn't about to have it end like this.

"Skyla!" he called angrily after her, "I want you to battle me!"

"Look," Skyla said with a look of annoyance, "I just proved to your friend that my methods work. If I can predict the outcome of one battle, I can predict them all. Show me your Pokémon."

Ash did so, sending out Tranquill, Pikachu, and his new Krokorok.

"Impressive team," Skyla began, "But there's no doubt I'd still win, hands down."

"I think you're wrong!" May snapped as she walked up next to Ash and took his hand. "I think Ash and his Pokémon could wipe the floor with your team!"

"Mana-phi!" Manaphy agreed ardently.

Skyla was taken aback by this, before angrily turning back to Ash.

"Fine! I'll battle you," she said. "You honestly think my Air battles are meaningless?"

"I guess we're about to find out," Ash replied, grinning fiercely.

* * *

><p><strong>I'm finally beginning to appreciate how tedious it is to write battles :(<strong>

**As always, please leave reviews, comments, and suggestions, and I'll see you next chapter!**


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